At a distance of 50 km from Almora, 56 km from Nainital, 82 km from Haldwani, 325 km from Dehradun, and 350 km from Delhi, Ranikhet is a picturesque hill station and a cantonment , surrounded by Himalayan mountain ranges, Ranikhet is situated in the upper Kumaon Hills. The word Ranikhet stands for Queen's Meadow. As per the folklore, Queen Padmini of Kumaon was so impressed with the natural beauty of this tiny hill paradise and decided to stay here. Later King Sukherdev built a palace for her at this place and named it Ranikhet.
Highlights are Bhalu Dam, Binsar Mahadev Temple, Chaubatia Orchards, Hairakhan Temple, Mankameshwar Temple, Katarmal Sun Temple, Jhula-Devi Temple, KRC Museum and Army Golf Course are the popular tourist attractions in Ranikhet. Visitors can also go for trekking to nearby places like Tarikhet and Sitlakhet.